The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Teuila Field.
All photos by Geoffery Matautia.
Teuila Field (Sāmoan/Pākehā) has a decade of experience working as first assistant director (1st AD) on many well-known TV shows and films, including the recently released Tinā. She considers herself to be a creative facilitator who holds the vā between the crew so that they can do their jobs. Usually the mum of three is based in the Auckland suburb of Mt Albert, but at the time of our interview she’s between home and Central Otago, where she’s working on Netflix’s East of Eden. Teuila discussed how she got started in the industry, how she holds the vā on set and her timeless advice for young hopefuls entering the industry.
Talofa Teuila! Could you please tell me a little bit about who you are and where you grew up?
Talofa! I was born in Wellington. My dad’s Palagi, and my mum’s Samoan from the villages of Neiafu and Vaisala in Savai’i. We moved to Mt Albert, Auckland, when I was four. That’s where I’m based now with my family. It’s nice to be back in the old stomping ground.
Before we discuss your work as the 1st AD on Tinā, could you describe what the role entails for those who mightn’t know?
There’s a whole department of assistant directors working under the director.
As the 1st AD, I take the script and break it down scene by scene. What is the set? Is this shot in a studio or on location? What time of day is it? Which of the cast are in it? What background extras do we need to make this feel real? What art department requirements are there? What animals or special effects might be required? Are you looking for stunts? If there’s an intimate scene, do you need an intimacy coordinator? Ultimately, what are all the elements needed to bring that page to life.
Film and TV is a constantly moving thing. One of my mentors, Liz Tan, always said that our job is like trying to do a jigsaw with jelly. When it comes to shooting, it’s the 1st AD’s responsibility to make the day. You’re trying to jam-pack as much as you can into a 10-hour shooting day while also making sure you’ve got enough time to achieve that schedule.
Is it hard to strike that balance between the creative needs and the practical realities of filming?
It’s interesting because I don’t consider myself a creative, but a creative facilitator. I see it as holding the vā – the space between – for the director, and the actors, but also between the crew to do their jobs. It’s hard to explain the vā in a western sense but that’s how I see it. Ultimately, we all just want to do a good job and get home safely to our families.
It’s a lot of responsibility! Is this something you’ve always wanted to do?
I very much fell into the film industry. My mum’s a teacher, and my dad’s a journalist, so I was never going to do an office job. After post-grad, I fell into the film industry as a runner. I had just quit my job at a non-profit right in the middle of the 2008 global financial crisis, and I remember being in the bathroom in tears thinking oh my god, what have I done?
I started as a runner on TV commercials, and from there, I went along to a women and film and television event and met all these amazing people. One of them was Moeroa Hobbs, a 1st AD at Shortland Street, and she said, “Look, if you want to come and check it out and see what it’s like, here’s my email address.” I contacted her, and she let me come to the set, and I just sat and watched for two days. The 2nd AD went on holiday for two months, and they asked me to cover for her. I will for ever be grateful to Moeroa for extending that offer. Some people go to film school and study it, and others fall into it.
What do you enjoy most about the role?
What I love about it is the people that I get to work with. I love the storytelling. I love being able to help creatives tell the story that they want to tell. I love the project-based nature of it, too. What I love about working in film is that you’ve got this project that you’re working on and you’re doing all this creative problem solving all the time. I like being in that role helping the director get the beautiful shots that they need.
For Tinā, helping tell a Samoan story was just so soul-filling. Sometimes there’s more value than just the dollar value of a project. New Zealand projects can never compete financially with big American projects that shoot here. But for me, I was very excited to work with the director, Miki Magasiva, and the star, Anapela Polataivao. It was my first Samoan film job, so I was very excited to work with the team.
You said being a 1st AD is like trying to make a puzzle from jelly. Can you recall any moments from Tinā that you felt were a real challenge?
It always comes down to budget. Every department’s budget is crunched, and so is everyone’s time. Everything’s always feeling like it’s running late. But you just have to trust the process and know that it will all come together. But also, as the 1st AD, you have to be the messenger and voice any concerns from the crew. The great thing about Tinā was that Miki also wrote it. If we were backed into a corner on the day, we could have a conversation about changing it. For example, there was a scene originally written as a night scene but we had location restrictions, so he was able to quickly rewrite it to be set in the daytime.
I also think it’s important not to compromise too early. You want to hold onto the vision until the last minute and preserve the integrity of the story.
What were the standout moments when you reflect on working on Tinā?
For me, it was the cast read-through, which happens before we even start shooting. The whole room was in tears. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. It was so beautiful. It just felt like we were working on something very, very special. And you know, on set, it got to the point where somebody would cry most days. I just grew to not watch the monitor when it was Anapela’s close-ups. I was pregnant at the time too, so it was all coming out [laughs].
You’re a mum of three young kids. How do you juggle parenting with the intensity of film and TV productions?
Funnily enough, all my three babies have jobs attached to them. So when I was pregnant with my firstborn, I was working on Ash vs Evil Dead, which is kind of a slasher comedy. And then, with my second, I was working on Mulan, which was fun and amazing. And with my third, I was on Tinā. He was lucky to be around all those Samoan hymns.
It can be really long hours! You have to love working in the film industry to do it because you’re working 10 to 12-hour days and it’s contract-based. There are the highs and lows of having an income and then suddenly not being employed. I can only manage this work because of my partner, my family and my very supportive friends who understand that I just disappear for a little while and then I’ll come back. I’ve come to learn that I have a different work-life balance to the nine-to-fivers. It’s kind of all skewed towards work for a while and then I come out, it’s more skewed towards a life where I need to do the school run and the ballet run and the swimming and soccer runs…
On those long days do you have any little rituals or things that keep you going?
We’re very well looked after on set because of those long hours. We have all of our meals provided and there’s no shortage of food and coffee. I always have two black coffees first up, and then I try to just sip on some herbal tea and water for the rest of the day. I know I’m getting really tired on the job when the hash browns start coming into the breakfast plate.
What advice would you share with someone interested in the 1st AD role, or even just getting started on set?
Take your time, keep trying to get your foot in the door, and do whatever job is available. I started as a runner, and that was a valuable experience to learn what different departments do. Time on set is the best teacher. Be prepared to do any job in the first instance, work hard, and be kind and respectful. It’s a very small industry in New Zealand, and you never know who’s connected to who. The person who’s a runner or PA on your first job might become your producer on the next. Just be nice to people. Is that too wishy-washy to say?
I think it’s timeless advice! You can never go wrong with being kind to people.
And don’t be in too much of a rush. I see young people trying to be at the top of their game, or getting too fixated on being in a top role immediately. Do your time and trust the process. I spent a long time as a 2nd AD and that experience has been useful in understanding all the challenges that different parts of the crew experience. That’s what I loved about working with Miki. He started out working in every department. Because he came from the bottom up and worked his way through, he had an inherent understanding and respect for everybody’s roles. That filters down through the crew, and they feel that. And I think that’s what contributed to the beautiful vibe that we had on set.
This is Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ On Air.
